Costco Has Heard Your Complaints — Kirkland's 'Terrible' Chicken Breast Packaging Is Finally Fixed

For a long time, one of the tips for first-time shoppers at Costco would have been to avoid the Kirkland Signature chicken breasts. To put it simply, the packaging was an absolute nightmare, and it made the savings you could get on buying chicken in bulk almost not worth it. However, after what feels like a lifetime of social media complaints, Costco has finally come to its senses and actually did something about it. As of 2026, Costco regulars will notice a subtle change to the packaging in the form of a perforated seam between each individual unit of chicken. That's right, you can now tear each package of chicken away from the others without needing to get out the scissors.

You might be dubious about this tearable edge, especially considering that a dangerous chicken-juice mess is at stake should a rip literally go sideways. No one wants to get gross liquid all over their counter. But according to initial reviews, it tears like a dream. It's a little difficult to get started, but once it begins to rip it does so with such ease that you can do it one-handed. No mess, no spills, no hassle.

Customers have been quick to express their relief with this new packaging. Upon viewing the Instagram video above, one person said, "I have been BEGGING for this." Another was eager to try this new change, saying, "Perforated edges need to come to my Costco ASAP!" This change is so necessary that it easily moves the chicken breasts from something to avoid to Costco meats you should buy every time.

Such a small change seems like it shouldn't make a huge difference, but for those who experienced the old packaging it's night and day. Before, customers would have to use scissors to cut a single unit of chicken away from its brothers. This might sound easy, but the space between each section was minuscule. If you wanted to go Hulk mode and pound your chicken breasts with a skillet, you'd first have to be ever-so-delicate with snipping to separate a serving. One Costco shopper commenting on the same Instagram video recalled how bad it used to be, saying, "The line between cutting it perfectly and cutting into the chicken bag and chicken juice going everywhere was sooo fine!" Another customer on Reddit felt similarly, saying how there was "Such a small margin for error when cutting. First time purchasing, I cut them as soon as I got home and made a mistake resulting in leakage."

This is a big deal to many people, and for good reason. A common mistake people make with raw chicken is getting juices everywhere as this can cause cross-contamination and create spots for illness-causing bacteria to thrive. The perforated edge means more space between the units and no fancy cutting. This way, it lowers the risk of human error; keeping things more sanitary.

It's worth noting there was a time when the chicken breast packaging already had perforated seams, making this a welcome return to the old ways. For the rest of us, it doesn't matter if this is fresh progress or not, as long as it stays this way.